Jay Dent’s play takes a look at the spiritual warfare that happens in everyday life.

Long Beach State University graduating senior, theater major and playwright, Jay Dent is launching a production that is sure to inspire and inform while entertain. Her new play “Adapting Faith Through Doubt” is a play about lifting the veil on the everyday challenges and trials people encounter in life.

“It’s an adaptation because it’s nothing like the Broadway show or the movie,” said Dent. “I have 13 actors and 25 cast and crew members.

“Most of them have volunteered to help me, which was a blessing on its own.

“I’m using light/shadow theater to show demonic possession and spiritual warfare. What I’m really trying to show is the counter act between what is being said and what is actually real.”

The idea for the play came through an assignment and a dream, which Dent took as a sign that this play had to be produced.

“Last year, [we] had to pick a play that we’ve read and pitch it to the class as if we were a Broadway production company,” said Dent. “I literally went to sleep and God gave it to me in a dream.

“I went to class and pitched it to my class and it the midst of talking, my professor just starts clapping while I’m talking and she said ‘This is genius.’” The play would also serve as her thesis and she knew “this was it.”

Dent would go forward with her play, but it wasn’t without its own set of ‘spiritual’ challenges. She would encounter a plethora of roadblocks but was determined to see the vision God blessed her with to the end.

“I submitted [the play] to be produced in the theater department in November but the student committee did not accept it,” said Dent. “The majority of students who were chosen were their friends and we’re seeing a lot of the same faces, only one African American was chosen; there wasn’t a lot of diversity.”

This was only the beginning of Dent’s challenges as she would encounter more hills and valleys in realizing her production.

“When I put my flyers out for people to audition for me, one time a person moved it,” said Dent. “Then when I moved it—they were all just gone.

“They tore all my flyers down and it was insulting because it costs money to print stuff. So, I put flyers up again—and they were torn down.

“I had to have my auditions in the laundry room with sewing machines, washers and dryers.” Even through all that adversity, Dent found inspiration through the Lord and pressed on.

“Jesus was born in a manger— [Adapting Faith Through Doubt] is going to be born out of a laundry room,” said Dent. “I just stayed positive.”

Dent forged ahead and pitched her idea to the university student union and they loved it. They would book the venue for her play, gave her budget and helped to advertise her play throughout the university. She is also getting a marquee and movie box in the student union.

“It went from being in a small theater class room to a campus-wide event,” said Dent. “That closed door allowed me to have bigger and greater.”

Dent shared a couple words about her play that apply not only to the trials and tribulations she went through in getting her play off the ground but what we all go through and that we have a choice.

“Jealousy, lust, hatred, doubt, fear—all of those are spirits the enemy uses to bring us down,” said Dent. “We can either nurture them or we can destroy them—but it is a choice.

“This is God’s production,” said Dent. “It’s not really mine.”

Jay Dent’s “ Adapting Faith Through Doubt” is FREE and playing at the USU Beach Auditorium Thursday, May 1 at 7pm, Friday May 2 at 12pm and Saturday, May 3 at 7pm. USU Beach Auditorium is located at 1250 Bellflower Blvd in Long Beach, CA 90815.

For more information, please call (562) 985-4181 or adaptingdoubtaparable@gmail.com